Not guilty plea in fatal beating outside Santa Ana club

Vanesa Tapia Zavala, of Santa Ana has been charged with one felony count of murder on suspicion of playing a part in the death of 23-year-old Annie Kim Pham in Santa Ana.MICHAEL GOULDING, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SANTA ANA – A woman who appears to have only a traffic ticket in Orange County on her record pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a murder charge in the death of Annie Kim Pham, who was beaten outside a Santa Ana nightclub early Saturday.

Vanesa Tapia Zavala, 25, of Santa Ana entered her plea in a brief video arraignment at the courthouse inside Orange County Jail, as some detail – including texts from Pham hours before the fight – emerged about events outside The Crosby.

A second-degree murder conviction carries a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Police continue to look for at least four other possible suspects, two men and two women in their 20s. Zavala remained in custody Wednesday in lieu of $1 million bail. A pretrial hearing is set for Jan. 30.

Pham, 23, of Westminster, an aspiring writer and actress who attended Chapman University, was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon after spending more than three days on life support.

Prosecutors declined to discuss details of the charge against Zavala pending further investigation. But a lawyer working for Zavala and another lawyer who says he's been contacted by one of the potential suspects – and friends of Pham who say they've spoken with people involved in the incident – said the violence outside the club was chaotic and involved at least a half-dozen other people.

Police on Wednesday continued their investigation into what prompted the deadly assault, which began with an argument among people waiting in line to get inside the popular nightspot, said Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

The fight that ended with Pham unconscious has drawn national attention as a short video circulated online showing a group of people wrestling and kicking a figure on the ground in front of a crowd of about 50 people. In the video, one person is visible crouching to take another cellphone video. A bouncer from the club appears to try to intervene, well after the violence began.

On Tuesday, Zavala, then held at the Santa Ana Jail, declined a request for an interview.

‘A MELEE'

Zavala's attorney, Ken Reed, said Wednesday that he is confident his client will be found not guilty.

Reed said Zavala, a mother of a 5-year-old son, was born and raised in Santa Ana, graduated from a local high school and now is an office worker. He said that she went out Friday evening with her boyfriend, the father of her child, and that they were leaving The Crosby to go to a less crowded establishment.

Reed said he does not know if Zavala and Pham exchanged words, but he said Zavala was hit on the head during the fight.

“She was crawling on her hands and knees trying to look for her phone,” which police recovered, Reed said.

“There were an awful lot more people fighting,” Reed said.

Reed called the incident a “melee,” saying people would not stand around without coming to the aid of one person being attacked.

Vanesa Tapia Zavala, of Santa Ana has been charged with one felony count of murder on suspicion of playing a part in the death of 23-year-old Annie Kim Pham in Santa Ana. MICHAEL GOULDING, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kim Pham, 23, also known as Annie, was pronounced dead Tuesday at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, after being on life support since she was kicked and punched outside The Crosby in downtown Santa Ana early Saturday. Her family said she had hoped to donate her organs. SAM GANGWER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Vy Dao, left, Tiffany Bui and Viviane Dao, right, all of Huntington Beach, at the makeshift memorial for their friend Kim Pham, who was beaten in front of The Crosby nightclub in Santa Ana. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
People stop visit the makeshift memorial steps from The Crosby nightclub, right, where Kim Pham was beaten. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jorge Estrada, 25, of Santa Ana was inside The Crosby early Saturday morning when he saw the fight break out beyond the entry doors, he says. Although he didn't see much of the fight itself, he remembers the aftermath of the incident and seeing Kim Pham's beaten body on the ground while onlookers didn't help and only took photographs for social media, he said Wednesday. Standing near the memorial for Pham in downtown Santa Ana, Estrada points to where the beating took place. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Tuesday, Armando Sorria, 47, of Santa Ana, top right, spends his morning tidying up the memorial for beating victim Kim Pham. Pham was pronounced dead Tuesday. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kim Pham, 23, died Tuesday after being severely beaten outside The Crosby on Broadway and Fourth Street early Saturday morning in Santa Ana. KEVIN WARN, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
On Wednesday, after news that Kim Pham had died, words of hope turned to condolence and mourning at the memorial for her at the intersection of Broadway and Fourth Street in downtown Santa Ana. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kim Pham, 23, who was also known as Annie, was pronounced dead Tuesday at St. Joseph Hospital of Orange. SAM GANGWER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Wednesday words of hope turned to condolence and mourning at the memorial left for Kim Pham. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Wednesday, a lunchtime crowd paused at the memorial for Kim Pham, 23. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wednesday after news that Kim Pham, 23, had died, words of hope turned to condolence and mourning at the memorial left for her in downtown Santa Ana. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jorge Estrada, 25, of Santa Ana, says he was inside The Crosby early Saturday morning when he saw the fight break out beyond the entry doors. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Wednesday after news that Kim Pham, 23, also known as Annie, had died, words of hope turned to condolence and mourning at the memorial left for Pham at the intersection of Broadway and Fourth Street in downtown Santa Ana. BRUCE CHAMBERS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.